1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a container which is useful for shipping and storing hazardous fluid materials.
2. Background Information
The shipment of hazardous fluid materials requires the use of a shipping container or package which will protect the vessel holding the material from shock which can cause breakage as well as provide for containment or control of the fluid material should the vessel be broken. The shock protection and containment requirements are generally incompatible in that materials which provide good shock protection typically exhibit poor fluid containment or absorption properties and materials having good fluid containment or absorption properties exhibit poor shock protection properties. Hazardous fluid material shipping containers which offer both shock and containment protection which have evolved are a combination of a more rigid container which provides shock protection that is filled with an absorbent material. This combined structure results in a shipping package that is very large relative to the volume of hazardous material being shipped in the package.
Simon U.S Pat. No. 4,560,069 discloses a package assembly for transporting hazardous materials including a bottle containing the hazardous material disposed within a metal can wherein the bottle is surrounded on all sides by individual upper, lower and side absorbent non-resilient and frangible synthetic foam elements. The foam elements provide cushioning for the bottle and absorbency in the case of spillage. The individual foam elements are maintained out of contact with each other by means of a fiberboard spacers. The spacers are disposed to separate the upper and lower ends of the bottle from the resin foam and to protect the frangible foam from disintegration due to abrasion by the bottle. The metal can can be suspended within an outer corrugated fiberboard box by means of a fiberboard insert element for the outer box. The fiberboard insert element supports the can out of contact with the outer fiberboard box and provides a protecting buffer zone between the can and the walls of the outer fiberboard box for protection of the can.
Haigh et al. U.S Pat. No. 3,999,653 discloses a package containing a hazardous liquid which comprises a container which is generally impermeable to a hazardous liquid contained therein, the container being subject to discharge of its contents when subjected to impact. The container is disposed within a first jacket of a liquid permeable material of sufficient strength to contain fragments of the container on rupture thereof. A second jacket is provided over the first jacket, the second jacket having at least an inner wall and outer wall, the inner wall being liquid permeable, a hazardous liquid swellable body contained between the inner wall and outer wall and being generally co-extensive with the inner wall and outer wall, and a third jacket of hazardous liquid vapor imperious membrane.
Kreutz et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,213,528 discloses a package for an acid container, such as an acid containing ampule or bottle, formed of an acid resistant envelope and a separate removable absorbent shield for enclosing the acid container, with the absorbent shield including a material to neutralize acid whereby any acid released from the container is absorbed and neutralized by the absorbent shield. The absorbent shield is generally porous, yet sufficiently absorbent to allow essentially instantaneous absorption of acidic liquids of high, medium and low viscosities.
Simon et al. U.S. Patent No. Re 24,767 discloses a packaging container that provides uniform thermal, shock, impact, vibration, inertia and fluid impervious insulation for a fragile or delicate object or material. The object or material is completely encased in a yielding, flexible and resilient cellular or foamaceous sheath of selected thickness that is effective as a protection against shock, impact, vibration, inertia effects, etc. as well as being a good thermal insulating blanket, the sheath cradling and supporting the object or material, and a fluid-tight or impervious shell to protect the object or material against deterioration by temperature changes or moisture.
Slaughter U.S. Pat. No. 2,929,425 discloses a protective pouch comprising an elongated cushioning strip having a series of pockets into which parts to be packaged may be inserted. The pouch is so constructed that one or more of the longitudinal edges of the cushioning strip may be folded over the pockets to cover them, and then the pouch is either rolled up or folded up for insertion into a shipping container such as a metal can, a wooden box or a carton.
Crane et al. U.S. Pat. No. 2,941,708 discloses a molded pulp set-up insulating container in which six integrally joined sections have rims disposed thereon to give locking contact where free section edges meet. The container is molded so as to have the minimum amount of pulp in direct contact with the goods held in the container to minimize heat transfer through the pulp. The container has sufficient rigidity to support the goods within the container and to also entrap a blanket of insulating air around the goods.
Heffler et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,309,893 discloses an insulated shipping container which has an elongated body, quadrilateral in cross section, formed of a rigid, inflexible polyurethane foam, having a heat-conductivity factor in the range of 0.11 to 0.20 and integrally provided with a cavity of circular cross section opening at one end of the body and being closed at its other end and a closure for the cavity being of cylindrical form and having a diameter greater than that of the cavity and formed of resilient, flexible, and porous polyurethane foam for sealing engagement within the open end of the cavity for forming a tight joint with the walls thereof while permitting the escape of gases from within the container and having a heat conductivity factor in the range of 0.22 to 0.35.
Baker et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,698,587 discloses a self-sealing wall for containers and conduits comprising a substantially rigid supporting layer of liquid impervious material, a layer of foam and at least one layer of a homogeneous elastomeric polyurethane adhered to the foam.
Yoshimura U.S. Pat. 3,895,159 discloses a cryogenic insulation material which is shaped in conformance with the form of an article to be insulated and is made of a rigid polyurethane foam having a core layer including cells and inner and outer surface layers including hardly any cells. Glass fiber is embedded at least in the inner surface layer.
McCabe, Jr. U.S. Pat. No. 4,124,116 discloses a liquid absorbing sectional pack consisting of upper and lower filter sheets bonded to each other at the outermost contiguous edges to form an enclosure. The enclosure is divided into a plurality of sectional compartments which are isolated from each other by dissolving barrier sheets. The dissolving barrier sheets consist essentially of a water soluble carboxy methyl cellulose compound. Each of the sectional compartments contain a predetermined quantity of absorbent granules. The barrier sheets function to dissolve when the granules have absorbed a predetermined amount of moisture so as to provide for increased space in which to contain moist granules.
Taylor U.S. Pat. No. 4,240,547 discloses a compact, reusable specimen mailer for safely shipping fragile specimen containers via the postal service. Two substantially identical L-shaped matable parts are each provided with a long leg having a flat free end and a flat inside face, and a short leg having a flat inside face, so that the two parts may be joined together with the free end of the long legs of the two parts flush against each other. Typically, the long leg of each part forms apertures for receiving test tubes, which protrude from the free end of the long leg of the other part. Also typically, the long leg forms an aperture opening out of its free end and its inside face, and connected with another cavity formed in the inside face of the short leg, for receiving a slide holder. A sheet of absorbent material is disposed within a recess in the inside face of the long leg for absorbing leaking fluids. The two parts are joined together and placed in a special envelope for mailing.
Barthel U.S. Pat. 4,481,779 discloses a storage container for shipping transportable materials at cryogenic temperatures including a vessel which opens to the atmosphere and contains a micro-fibrous structure for holding a liquefied gas such as liquid nitrogen in adsorption and capillary suspension. The micro-fibrous structure comprises a core permeable to liquid and gaseous nitrogen and an adsorption matrix composed of a web of inorganic fibers surrounding the core in a multi-layered arrangement.
Young et al U.S. Pat. 4,495,775 discloses a container for shipping transportable materials at cryogenic temperatures including a vessel which opens to the atmosphere and contains a micro-fibrous structure for holding a liquefied gas such as liquid nitrogen in adsorption and capillary suspension. The micro-fibrous structure comprises a core permeable to liquid and gaseous nitrogen and an adsorption matrix composed of randomly oriented inorganic fibers surrounding the core as a homogeneous body in stable confinement.
Fielding et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,584,822 discloses a cushion packing material for use in protecting objects from shock and vibrational loads. The cushion packing comprises a dimensionally stable thermoformed shell forming a chamber therein of a predetermined configuration and having a foam material, preferably low density polyurethane foam, disposed therewithin so as to provide a molded density of less than or equal to 1.5 pounds per cubic foot.